Cooling element



J. H. MGCUE cooLING ELMENT June 19, 1945.

2 sheet's-sheet 1 Fi1ed`Feb. 29, 1944 HLHHIIIIIII umm Y INVENTORl Jam 845 66u18! 9% M1 wm June 19, 194s. J, H facu g 2,378,645

COOLING E'LEMFNTy Filed Feb. 29, 1944 2 Sheetsj-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

mesCCu e,

Patented June 19, 1945 HanslH. iMcue, Pafsad'ena, Calif y Application february 29,1944, seriell-Notlagen relatively Warmer air which 'is Withdrawn from a `room or other. enclosure.- Another vobject is toreduce lthe temperaturevof .wa-.ter which in. tur-n may be used for any purpose desired. Anotl'ier y ,object vis -to provide a cooling element which pre'-4 ,sents a maximumevaporating cooling vsurface whereby a comparatively large surfaelfarea is. created betweenv a 4streamzojf `iiuidsuch a s:air

and a constant supply of-coolingliqui-d such-as; e water. 'An-other. object ist@ element y having the above advantages which will not I.harbor or unduly accumulate foreign.D and objectionable substances caused by evaporation,

or which will not becon1e foul unsanitar'y f-or objectionable in use. Among stillA further objects.

are maximum simplicity.' eiectiveness in use.

of construction. and

With these and otherend's in 'view` my invef r tion comprises Vthe f e at ures of construction and combination of parts hereinafter describe'dand claimed. Inthe accompanying drawingsfforming part off-this specification, Fig..1 'is a. 'side elevation,

partly in vertical `section,of.anair cooler which may be of stationary o'r potable' type and showing my improved fluid cooling element: applied thereto for use; Fig. 2 is,a fror 1t v deviation of a portionof the/air.coolershowing.a forni ofthe structure illustrated innig. 1 entre perdon-of the grill or Yscreenbroken away; Eiggeis afront provide .a 'GC01-ing' .i

section taken: approximately Qln, the line` 3T3; of

f1;; Fie. is a; rear.elevation o-f the .cooling element when removed trom lthe o1 1.t er -casing B;

Fis. 51s @enlarged v'ertaleetioriof a detail' Showingthe-"uppelfportion of thefqool-ing element;

Fig. 6 is a section taken approximately'on the 11115:y oi Fig, 5 showinga portion of the upper endet the coolinggelementf; Eig@ 'Z is-an enlarged l Section; of another: detailfgshcwing a portion-,sof ythe. lower emi-.Qi the cooling element and Fig.: 8

isA a-sectiontaken :approximately on-.line 8 8 of l .Inthe drawings-have show-n my improved coolmgrelememt: A. appliedtoi an air. coolensuch 'asmaya he.;y usedc forzreducing the;l temperature of the atrnosphone,k in a. roomory other enclosure,v it heing;` u-rlderstodd.y that it is; equally applicable yfor use, inl other assemblies orior cooling water or other .liculidfr coolingelementtrn-ayi be ar Vcellular structure as:l will be `heneinai-ter described eficaces.. (Ciraci-36p an'clxis shown moutedinfa'fsuitable lenclosure-or Ytoibe reducedfin tempeaturead' con'ditioiieior @used fas-'fan evaporativemediuin forfcoblngfliduid -isl iforced fin :intimate contact with 1a "constant s'upply 'df Fwater or othfer recel-ing medium, -fihto -vthe` 'chamber 1H within isaid"-en'clo`s1re Yand l'is ."lar sections i's '-cmposed of vertical f-andf'lateral i'th'in iritersecting Walls #f4 and 15, 'which fprovide la'igioup `of Eany desired 'num-ber of longitudinal ducts #which are of irectangularlr or othersuit- .faible cross sectional shape. TA contin-uousfstrearn of fairto `be conditioned is fforded through said "ducts into-s'aidichamkier l I gby saidfblow'erias in'- :dica'tedihy Ythe fsh'ort; arrows Ain eFigs.- '1, 5 `and '7. ducts'y in the middlec'ellularisection'E'ex'tend .longitudinally and horizontally iwhile the connecting portions of the ducts in the-ingress or rear- Ward section extend "longitudinally 4but'in'cline downwardly `ardjo'iniat their lowerfends wit-h the rrearward ends -o'f 'the 'horizontal 'portions of the ducts, and fthe :connected portions fof `the ducts in the egress or -forward section extend long-ituf Vdinally andain'cl-ine upwardly from thegforward rends ofthe horizontal portions ofsaid ducts. YA Aliquid `dispensing tro'ugli or; reservoir. -I-I. is placed immediately above ythe `middlecellul-ar section from which .Water'or other sui-table evaporative liquid is fed 'downwardly by gravity through the middle 'section ,ofV the cooling velement and the remaining unevaporated portion'of the liquid is ytransmitted into `a sump K immediately below the ',middlesection,v from which itis recirculated back into the feed reservoir by a suitable circulating pump I; The floors of the ducts' ofthe middle section of the cooling element areconneoted at Ithe `foot of each alternategcompanion s lanting end .portion ofthe ducts inthe ingress and egress cellular'- sections by I'suitable ports I6 and l1; said portsl thus beingv staggeredgfthatisthe port .I 1 atthe foot of one 4'of the dovvnwardly slanting portions of the ingress cellular section is above the port I6 at theopposite Aend of thehorizontal ductnext below. This arrangement exists throughout thecellularstructure whereby liquid ,fed from the' reservoir is causedto traverse the middle cellular section in an alternating course from top to bottom and longitudinally through the ducts in the liquid circulating cell section of the cooling element. Each of the ports I6 and I'I at the ends of the middle section E resembles a slot or space across the lower ends of .the corresponding floors of the horizontally adjacent ducts. In other words a port is not confined individually to each duct but traverses a horizontal series of ducts on each forward and rearward end of the cellular structure, whereby the current of air produced by the blower is spread evenly and the distribution of water or other cooling medium is equalized throughout the cooling element.

The liquid traversing downwardly in an alternating path through the middle'cellular section spreads in a film by capillary attraction over the surrounding surfaces of each horizontal duct, thus exposing a large surface area of liquid in contact with the currents of air passing longitudinally .through and across :the entire cellular structure. In effect the horizontal ducts in the middle sectionv form valleys in which the circulation of liquid is vconfined while a current of air is effectively reduced in temperature and circulated by the blower, or when desired the liquid is reduced in temperature and can be drawn off and used for cooling purposes as desired. The circulation of liquid through the middle cellular section is indicated by long arrows in Figs. l, and 7.

The cellular structure occupies the entire area of the opening I0 and as shown both the opening and the cellular structure are rectangular in shape but this shape may be varied and made suitable as desired. Any desired number and cross sectional size of the individual longitudinal ducts through the cooling element to fill the space across the opening I0 may be provided, the invention permitting a relatively large number to increase the effective evaporative surface contact between the air and cooling liquid. The walls of the cells may be made out of thin metal or any other suitable material and may be protected by any suitable non-corrosive coating to prevent deterioration.

Liquid at the terminal in the lower-most ducts in the middle section is admitted into the sump K by the opening I8. The cooling liquid is distributed and fed from the reservoir I-I through a series of relatively small openings I9 in the inclined iioor 20, (see Fig. 3) there being a suitable number of openings above the vertical groups of cellular ducts in the middle section to provide'v even distribution. Each port I9 is substantially V shaped and is disposed with its apex downwardly through the floor 20. All of the openings I9 are at even elevation so as to feed the liquid evenly by gravity.

The circulating pump I is shown driven by the motor J and its delivery outlet is connected with the reservoir H by the' circulating pipe 2I. A valved tap 22 in the circulating rpipe 2I, is for the purpose of delivering cold liquid to a distant point for any use desired. A suitable screen or grid 23 placed in the opening I0 '.back of the coolclean and sanitary liquid can be maintained through the cooler. Also a water supply float controlled valve 26 is adapted to regulate an even supply of cooling liquid in the system at all times.

It will be noted that while I have shown my improved cooling element incorporated in a unitary structure within an enclosing chamber and from which air is propelled by a blower therein, it will be understood that this arrangement of elements ma;7 be varied within the spirit of the invention and the cooling element used in an apparatus wherein an enclosing chamber of the type shown is not employed and wherein the various associated elements shown are varied and .differently arranged or modified,

In accordance withthe patent statutes, I have described the principles ofoperation of my invention together with the construction thereof which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof butJ I desire to have it understood that the structure shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means l and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the spirit thereof and within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A cooling element, comprising, a vertical series of superimposed longitudinal ducts, each of said ducts having opposite downwardly slanting longitudinal end portions and an intermediate longitudinal portion forming a valley between said end portions, said valleys having their opposite ends alternately Connected downwardly to provide an alternating current of liquid by gravity downwardly through said series of valleys, said current of liquid being conned to the valleys by said slanting end portions of the ducts, liquid dispensing means feedingdownwardly and lcirculating back and forth through said series oi valleys, a sump into which the lower end portion of said series of valleys is connected, and means for forcing evaporating fluid longitudinally into, through and upwardly from said ductsin contact with the stream of liquid traversing said valleys,

' for the purposes specified. f

2. A cooling element, comprising, a cluster of cells arranged in a plurality of horizontally adjacent series, the members of each series having longitudinal superimposed ducts for the ow of air therethrough, each of said ducts having upwardly inclined forward and rearward ends with a Valley extending between said ends, the altering element serves to protect the ducts from iny nate ends of said valleys being connected downwardly to provide an alternating channel for liquid from the top to the bottom of each series of ducts, the flow of liquid being confined to the valleys by said upwardly slanting ends and being exposed to evaporation by the flow of air downwardly into, longitudinally through and upwardly from said ducts to condition the air or the liquid.

3. Ina temperature reducing device, a cooling element having a cluster of air conducting cells, said cells being arranged in a plurality of laterally adjacent series, the members of reach series being superimposed and each cell having a horizontal duct with downwardly inclined ingress and upwardly inclined egress ends to conduct a stream of air downwardly into, horizontally through and upwardly from each duct, and the horizontal portions of said ducts having ports at alternating opposite ends to provide an alternating passage for 'a stream of liquid downwardly through each of said series of cells, means for feeding liquid to ,the upper ends, of each of said series of cells, a

` sump at the lower ends of said series of cells into which unevaporated liquid is received, and means for circulating liquid from said sump. into said f feeding means, and means for forcing air longi .tudinally through said cells.v

4:. A cooling element, comprising, a series of superimposed cells, each cell having a longitudinal air duct, said duct having a longitudinal body portion and upwardly slanting opposite endsproviding a longitudinal Valley between said opposite'ends, the valleys of said cells having downward ports through alternating opposite ends, providing an alternating channel downwardly through said series of cells through which liquid is adapted to flow back yand forth while a current of evaporating medium is conducted downwardly into, longitudinally through and upwardly from each valley.

5. In a temperature reducing device, a cooling element having a group of air conducting cells,l said group of cells being arranged in a plurality' of laterally adjacent series, the members of each series being` superimposed and each cell having a horizontal duct with downwardly inclined ingress and upwardly inclined egress ends to conduct a stream of air downwardly into, horizontally through and upwardly from each duct, and the horizontal portions of saidducts having ports at alternating opposite ends to provide an alternating passage for a stream of liquid downwardly through each of said series of cells, a feeder for liquid above the group of cells having an inclined floor and ducts spaced apart through said floor lto provide even feed of liquid downwardly through the valleys of the, cells in said group, a sump at the lower end of said group of cells into which unevaporated liquid is received, means for circulating liquid from said sump into said feeder, and means for forcingair longitudinally through said cells.

`TVAMES H. McCUE. 

